UAB Treatment Alternatives for Safer Communities Jefferson County Community Corrections Program FY2011

Transcription

1 UAB Treatment Alternatives for Safer Communities Jefferson County Community Corrections Program FY2011 Treatment Alternatives for Safer Communities (TASC) is the designated Community Corrections Program for Jefferson County, by resolution adopted by the Jefferson County Commission, September 6, The purpose of the program is to provide alternatives to incarceration through access to an array of community-based supervision, treatment, and residential, educational and vocational services. TASC serves the County Jails, District, Circuit, and Family Courts in Birmingham and Bessemer. It operates several program components targeting different offender groups, for services at various points in the criminal justice process. Year at a Glance Annual Report FY2010 Due to the county financial crisis, UAB TASC lost $1.5 million in local funding for FY10. The revenue cuts resulted in the elimination of 26 staff positions. Remaining staff were shifted to cover essential services. Specific cuts in service include Birmingham Division 1. Elimination of the bond condition requiring felony offenders to report to TASC upon release and supervision for 628 offenders - cut 5 case managers but retained, at a reduced level, pretrial release function and associated supervision for defendants released on TASC bonds in an effort to assist in jail overcrowding 2. Decreased staffing of Domestic Violence Court from three case managers to one case manager 3. Cut hours of operation from 12 hours per day to 10 hours per day 4. Elimination of two lab assistants positions 5. Restriction of misdemeanors in drug court - lost one case manager position 6. Restricted access to electronic monitoring cutting units - cut one electronic monitoring specialist 7. Elimination of positions within administration 8. Reduced substance abuse treatment bed subcontracts for Mental Health Court participants by ½ 9. Cut substance abuse treatment bed subcontracts for moving jail inmates to community-based treatment facilities by ½ Bessemer Division 1. Cut hours of operation from 12 hours per day to 10 hours per day eliminated one receptionist position 2. Elimination of Bessemer pretrial release function and any bond supervision cut three positions 3. Cut staff in Drug Court by one case manager 4. Elimination of Domestic Violence Advocate position (now funded through the District Attorney s Office) 5. Cut staff in Mental Health Court by two positions

2 6. Ended contractual relationship with the Jefferson-Blount-St. Clair Mental Health and Mental Retardation Authority for staffing support (i.e. case manager, counselor, psychiatrist) for the Bessemer Mental Health Court Despite the funding cuts, TASC continued to operate, on a reduced level, pretrial release, pretrial supervision and problem solving courts including the drug courts, mental health courts and domestic violence courts. In October, TASC committed to fulfilling its obligations to current clients who were out of jail because of TASC and active in the program. Consequently, TASC was forced to operate over budget far into FY2010. The ability of the agency to sustain these programs even at a reduced capacity is a credit to the remaining staff members who have been asked to assume greater roles and responsibilities. The projected number of individuals served by each of its programs compared to numbers served within the previous fiscal year can be seen in the following table. Birmingham Division Pretrial Release FY2009 No. Served FY2010 Projected No. Served Interviewed-4,217; Released-1,187 Pretrial Supervision 4,658 2,857 Drug Court 1,078 1,064 Mental Health Court Domestic Violence Court Alternative Sentencing Probation Services Interviewed- 3,593; Released-948 Bessemer Division Pretrial Release Interviewed-1,171; Program discontinued. Released-312 Pretrial Supervision Drug Court Mental Health Court Alternative Sentencing Probation Services Community Restitution 1,151 1,340 Electronic Monitoring In order to maintain momentum and reduce the impact of layoffs, TASC was able to initiate several new programs in FY2010 through supplemental grant funding from state and federal sources totaling $2,221,713 (includes two federal multi-year awards). The new programs include the following o Recovery Oriented System of Care (ROSC) TASC has received funding from SAMHSA to implement an expanded and enhanced recovery-oriented system of care for approximately 400 offenders sentenced to community corrections. The program adopts the following components: (1) the implementation of a relapse 2 P a g e

3 prevention group for participants; (2) creation of a Peer-to-Peer Coaching, or mentoring, program; (3) utilization of motivational incentives to reward abstinence and program compliance; (4) increased capacity of Aletheia House residential treatment program. o Family Drug Court A Family Drug Court has been established at the Family Court of Jefferson County through funding from the Administrative Office of Courts (AOC). In conjunction with the Jefferson County Department of Human Resources (DHR), the program employs the drug court model with parents who are drug and DHR involved. (Judge Alan Summers) o Adolescent Mentoring Program (AMP) The Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs (ADECA) has provided TASC via a contract with the Jefferson County Commission support for AMP, an evidence based community intervention for moderate to high risk youth who would benefit from the support of a caring, adult mentor. The program serves as an alternative to incarceration/commitment and provides the system with an enhanced menu of interventions. o Drug Court Treatment Expansion Through a SAMHSA grant received by AOC, the treatment component of the Jefferson County adult drug court will be expanded. The funding increases the capacity for intensive outpatient treatment in an effort to ensure timely and appropriate placement as well as support the salary of a Drug Court Treatment Coordinator and Drug Court Case Manager. o Network of Improvement of Addiction Treatment (NIATx) As a result of SAMHSA funding for expanded drug court treatment capacity, TASC is participating in a NIATx project. NIATx designed a model of process improvement specifically for behavioral health care settings to improve access and retention in treatment. TASC will be utilizing the model to positively impact its referral process and treatment attendance. o Ohio Risk Assessment System (ORAS) - TASC is participating in a Sentencing Commission pilot of the Ohio Risk Assessment System (ORAS). The ORAS tools can be used at pretrial, prior to or while on community supervision, at prison intake, and in preparation for reentry just prior to release from prison. TASC continues to consider assessment tools for use in supplementing traditional methods of assessing client risk levels. Current Need The local criminal justice system is well integrated with each component dependent on the actions of its partners. As such, it is challenging to discern the full community impact of the reduction in TASC funding. For example, the jail is currently far exceeding its capacity. One causative factor may be the reductions in the TASC scope of service. Additional factors may involve other stakeholders such as the Sheriff s Department and judiciary. It is apparent that the following reductions will have short and long-term impact on the system. 1. Loss of Bessemer pretrial release program In FY2009, the Bessemer pretrial release program interviewed 1,171 offenders and released 312. The impact of the program loss was cited as a contributor to jail overcrowding by Captain Ron Eddings of the Jefferson County Sheriff s Department in a recent meeting on the topic. 3 P a g e

4 2. Loss of felony bond condition In 1998, a bond condition was established to require offenders released on felony bond to report to TASC for assessment. In response to funding cuts, this bond condition was rescinded in Unfortunately, this left many offenders without pretrial supervision and the judges without information for plea/sentencing. At the end of FY2009, TASC ceased supervising non-tasc bond offenders. A sampling of the offenses of a portion of these non-tasc bond offenders served in FY2009 is noted below - Offense FY09 No. Assault 12 Attempted Murder 8 Burglary 77 Distribution 26 Drug Trafficking 30 Murder 10 Rape 5 Receiving Stolen Property 23 Robbery 64 Theft of Property 79 The organization currently supervises solely TASC bond offenders. Unfortunately, the loss of the bond condition equates to the loss of supervision for those offenders where the community may benefit the most from this service high risk offenders. In 1996, TASC received a grant for a national research demonstration project entitled Breaking the Cycle, or simply BTC. BTC tested the effectiveness of a system-wide criminal justice intervention with drug-addicted offenders by providing for drug screening and intervention with all defendants between the time of arrest and first court appearance. Many BTC interventions, including the bond condition, were assimilated into the TASC program. According to the BTC evaluation, the recidivism rate for offenders receiving supervision including drug testing from TASC was reduced by 30%. Many more offenders are now at jeopardy for reoffending. In summary, limited supervision of offenders can impact the system by o Eliminating the supervision of violent or higher risk offenders o Altering the flow of information to educate plea and sentencing decisions o Restricting opportunity for offenders to develop a case for community based punishment vs. prison o Possibly increasing the rate of recidivism for non-supervised offenders o Diminished capacity of Domestic Violence Court - TASC s Domestic Violence Office lost two case managers last year due to budgetary cutbacks, leaving one full time case manager and one administrator with a partial caseload. The domestic violence population is potentially the most dangerous within TASC and requires intensive 4 P a g e

5 supervision. The loss of two case managers has caused caseloads to rise to a level that is well above what should be considered optimum for this group and may endanger public safety as clients cannot receive the level of supervision warranted. Without restored county funding for this program, it will end on October 1, o Staff shortfalls - The loss of staff has placed other programs in a precarious position at times of illness, vacation or resignation. Unlike other nonessential services, a reduced scope of TASC services may impede the release from jail or the adequate supervision of an offender. The result of staff cuts may translate into public safety risks and more offenders in jail. In 1998, the County retained the Institute for Law and Policy Planning (ILPP) to evaluate the entire justice system and make recommendations for improving the system. The report endorsed TASC s contributions and made specific recommendations to expand TASC. The cover letter to the report stated: One recommendation is to expand TASC, and more effectively integrate it with the other justice agencies. TASC s key role in improving public-safety and decision-making now needs County support. In FY2011, this is true more than ever. FY2011 Request In order to avoid putting released offenders who were on TASC caseloads back in the jail on October 1, 2009, the organization tapped reserves to maintain the operation at the diminished FY2010 level. This money was client fees collected over 15 years as a reserve recommended by Joe Curtin and Commissioners. Having exhausted these funds, the organization will be forced to make further cuts in staffing unless funding is restored to the 2009 level. Organizational Capability Treatment Alternatives for Safer Communities (TASC) is the designated Community Corrections Program for Jefferson County, by resolution adopted by the Jefferson County Commission, September 6, Since 1977, it has been supported financially by the Jefferson County Commission, offender fee collection and various federal, state and local granting agencies and foundations. The purpose of the program is to provide alternatives to incarceration through access to an array of community-based supervision, treatment, and residential, educational and vocational services. TASC serves the County Jails, District, Circuit, and Family Courts in Birmingham and Bessemer. It operates several program components (with different names). These components target different offender groups or offenders, for services at various points in the criminal justice process. TASC has operated the Supervised Pretrial Release Program to reduce pretrial populations in the Jefferson County Jail since As noted above, the agency administers, for the State, an Alternative Sentencing Program providing community- 5 P a g e

6 based sentencing options for non-violent offenders who otherwise would be in state prison. Furthermore, TASC manages two very successful Drug Court/Deferred Prosecution Programs in the District Courts in Birmingham (Judge Shantá Owens) and Bessemer (Judge Eric Fancher) as well as Mental Health Court within each division (Judge Virginia Vinson and Judge Mac Parsons) providing an expedited docket for felony offenders who are seriously mentally ill. Further, the organization staffs a Domestic Violence Court in Birmingham (Judge Katrina Ross) that has proven successful at monitoring domestic violence offenders both pretrial and post-disposition, at referring offenders to appropriate counseling/intervention programs and at linking victims with community resources. TASC also provides an enhanced community restitution program, which organizes community service, job placement, housing, fatherhood education and other services. A brief description of each TASC program follows - Jefferson County Drug Court - Birmingham Division o Screens for participation all drug cases coming into the system through Judge Owen s court o Provides an expedited early disposition for all drug-involved, non-violent offenders, which represent a third of all arrestees booked into the county jail o Provides case management, offender tracking, treatment referrals and drug testing for all judges in the Courthouse (lab on-site) o Supports routine judicial reviews to monitor the progress of participants o Administers the provision of judicial and administrative sanctions and incentives to discourage noncompliance and reward success o Allows a graduating participant to defer charge and avoid a felony conviction Jefferson County Supervised Pretrial Release - Birmingham Division Pretrial Release (Judicial TASC Bond) o Provides screening and pretrial release of felony arrestees from the County jail o Establishes risk based supervision requirements, treatment and home plans for judicial release o Tracks FTA cases for the court system providing for timely judicial decisions o Currently provides electronic monitoring supervision for arrestees awaiting trial when requested by Judges Pretrial Supervision o Assesses and drug tests each felony offender released from the Jefferson County Jail, as required by condition of bond o Creates an individualized treatment plan for each offender admitted into the program o Refers offenders to community-based treatment providers o Monitors offender compliance and reports at court hearings o Administers random drug testing 6 P a g e

7 Mental Health Court - Birmingham Division o Establishes a system of intensive case management to assist felony offenders who are seriously mentally ill o Seeks to maintain the early identification of potential clients in order to reduce the length of jail stay, promote timely intervention and enhance public safety o Expedites the court case processing of the target population o Links program participants to community placements o Closely monitors the compliance of participants and reports progress to Judge Virginia Vinson o With the assistance of Health Assurance, the jail medical contract, provides bridge medication to participants to bridge the gap between release from jail to the first visit at the community mental health center. Medication compliance is critical to public safety. o Continues to complete follow-ups of graduates at 3-, 6- and 12- months to monitor program outcomes. o Connects to NAMI Birmingham for continuing education and ongoing support for clients and their families Domestic Violence Court Birmingham Division o Provides for a single judge, Katrina Ross, for bond decisions and conditions, victim input, and general supervision of both pretrial and post-disposition Domestic Violence cases in the Birmingham division o Provides court-specific TASC staff for assessment, referral, case management and compliance checks o Assures consistent conditions of release on all Domestic Violence 3 bonds including no victim contact and report to TASC for assessment and referral o Allows for reassessment of bond conditions, victim and victim advocate input and appointment of counsel when appropriate at initial appearance before Court o Provides pretrial staffing allowing review of TASC/referral compliance, input from defense counsel, the district attorney s office and victim/victim advocate when appropriate o Allows for expedited trials/pleas and continued Court monitoring upon convictions/guilty pleas Jefferson County Community Corrections - Bessemer Division o Extends TASC services including jail screening, formal psychosocial assessment and referral, pretrial release services, alternative sentencing, case management, drug testing, drug treatment, employment readiness, employment placement, and community service to the Bessemer Judicial Circuit o Enhances the community through three diversion programs that assists offenders whose crimes are substance motivated or related to other Serious Mental Illnesses (S.M.I.). They consist of the Bessemer Drug Court (Judge Fancher, since 2001), 7 P a g e

8 Mental Health Court (Judge Parsons, since 2004), and the Theft Deferred Drug Court (Judge Petelos, since 2004). o Court Referral Officer screening, case management, and referral services for offenders with misdemeanor and/or felony charges obtained in the Jefferson County municipalities and the County Criminal Courts o Provides monitoring for the Family Courts through testing of individuals involved with the DHR system, along with case management / referral services for adolescents ordered to the Adolescent Substance Abuse Program (ASAP) o Conducts four evening adult drug treatment therapeutic groups along with cognitive skills groups focused on challenging maladaptive thinking hindering maintained sobriety o Administers an antabuse program in conjunction with the on-site outpatient treatment, delivered by Beacon Addiction Treatment Center Jefferson County Drug Court Bessemer Division o Provides case management, offender case tracking, treatment referrals, and drug testing o Diverts hundreds of cases from the Grand Jury freeing judicial time for jail cases. o Refers participants to appropriate services o Conducts judicial reviews to support compliance to Drug Court requirements (i.e. attendance in treatment, payment of community restitution and fees) o Administers the provision of judicial and administrative sanctions and incentives to discourage noncompliance and reward success o Allows a graduate to avoid a felony conviction Mental Health Court Bessemer Division o Identifies, screens and assesses offenders for program eligibility in jail o Provides judicial oversight through Judge Mac Parsons o With the assistance of Health Assurance, the jail medical contract, provides bridge medication to participants to bridge the gap between release from jail to the first visit at the community mental health center. Medication compliance is critical to public safety. Community Restitution Program o Provides an organized component to support community service, offender restitution, and mentoring o Holds offenders accountable for their actions by repayment to their neighborhoods and communities o Recruits community volunteers, agencies and the faith community to provide supervision, classes and support for offenders o Assigns purposeful work assignments throughout the community o Coordinates referrals for Vocational Rehabilitation, GED, literacy classes and transportation assistance 8 P a g e

9 o Focuses special attention on linking offender s skills, competencies and specific abilities to selected community placements o Recruits community placements through public, non-profit organizations such as social agencies, churches, schools and other institutions that serve the community (Birmingham and Bessemer) o Conducts cognitive skills (problem solving) groups to serve offenders needing this type of intervention in Birmingham and in Bessemer o Leads weekly Job Club meetings, for unemployed clients. The Club provides job readiness training as well as hosting employers to speak on job opportunities o Implements the Jobs for Life initiative, a mentor-based program and curriculum, in collaboration with the faith-based community o Refers clients to the Jefferson County Housing Authority s Shelter Plus Care Program for housing assistance o Operates the Birmingham Fatherhood Initiative, a program providing fatherhood education to predominantly non-custodial fathers in community and faith-based sites throughout the City o Conducts Life After Prison support group for ex-prisoners o Conducts support group for families of ex-prisoners o At the request of the judiciary, serves the Bessemer Family Court for intensive onsite intervention targeting non-custodial fathers delinquent in child support payments Alternative Sentencing/Community Corrections o Targets non-violent, prison-bound offenders under provisions of the Community Corrections Act o Generates offender specific plans for client specific sentencing alternatives o Provides enhanced supervision options between traditional probation supervision and prison o Contracts for community-based residential and halfway facilities for drug-involved offenders; the priority for these beds has been offenders who can be released from the County jail o Provides state-wide advocacy through linkages with Alabama Sentencing Commission and Alabama Association of Community Corrections to expand community corrections efforts by increased funding o Reserves limited prison space for violent offenders by supplying options that allow non-violent offenders to remain in the community o Increase victim services through voluntary victim/offender conferencing o Developed regional community corrections beds for Jefferson County defendants to utilize beds in adjacent counties, i.e. Shelby, Marshall, Lauderdale Other Populations Served o Extends TASC services for substance involved cases through the CRO program to 24 misdemeanor courts in Jefferson County 9 P a g e

10 Electronic Monitoring o Provides electronic monitoring as an option for judges interested in releasing higher risk offenders who are on bond and under house arrest o Offers judges an additional non-jail option for non-compliant offenders as an intermediate sanction o Provides structure in the first 30 days of release to community corrections inmates re-entering community from prison o Serves an average caseload of 71% pretrial offenders and 25% community corrections (the remaining portion of the caseload are methamphetamine cases) 10 P a g e